Fake dating the hockey captain

Riley's POV. Scarlet's rhythmic, breathless moan scorched my ears as I froze in shock in the front of my apartment. My chest heaved up and down before I could even process it. Room 234. That was where I and my boyfriend, Marcus Morgan, lived together….the same room my best friend's moan was coming from! And I was standing petrified at the front of the room while her moan made my pulse race in cruel assumptions. I wrapped my hand around the doorknob and took in three ragged breaths before I twisted the doorknob, revealing the shittiest, devastating view of Marcus and Scarlet making out on the wall. I winced backwards, my lips pressing thin as my body went still and quiet. For a moment, I totally forgot how to breathe. The smell of sweats and fluids replaced the fresh air I breath, almost choking me out as they pulled away sluggishly as if I was just a distraction to their ephemeral moment and that almost made me break a nerve. Marcus ran his hand across his damp hair like a thief under a spotlight while Scarlet wore the smugglest smile on her flushed lips, one a model would put on when announced the winner. “ Really?” I bite down my lower lip to conceal the sob pressing against my throat. “Riley! Scarlet! Both of you are —” The words were disgustingly heavy on the tip of my tongue. “Don't pretend you don't know that your friend and I are a thing!” Marcus said those disgusting words to me. No apology. No explanation. Critics instead. My shoulders deflated, gut rumbling. Was that the answer to him cheating on me with my best friend? Or was he telling me I was stupid for trusting him? Well, guess I was. I saw the red flags yet I foolishly ignored them. Marcus Morgan was the first student I knew when I entered the Westbridge academy. Our friendship was a two peas in a pod and later escalated into a romantic escapades because we had similar backgrounds as orphans who only had chances to enter the Westbridge academy by scholarship. He was Infamous, disliked and sidelined, until he joined the Eastern Europe hockey team as a goalie and made his team won a televised tournament. But all his success could not be mentioned today without the mystery girl—Me— being mentioned on the headline. Cheering him up by the rink, holding a chocolate milk or high-protein snacks for immediately after he stepped off the ice, and most essentially, being an engaged specatator to him when his hope was fragile on the ice. Those sacrifices cost me two major courses retake last semester, but it was nothing. I was doing it for love, at least, I thought. He had organised an elaborate birthday party for Scarlet and made her special, made her replace the space I deserve and never celebrated mine. The long and admiration glares they exchanged even when I was in the same room with them. The Early morning and goodnight texts he once told me it was nothing that I was jealous. He was actually passing a message that he wanted her, but I, blinded by love and trust, let it slide and now he was confidently blaming me for being stupid. Scarlet stepped forward with a faint, victorious smile. “Girl, I am sorry. Your sweet boy wants a popular girl like me and not an Infamous orphan to sink his uprising career in disparage.” “You're such an Ingrate, Scarlet!” That was all I could say to her with tears in my throat. I was the one who encouraged her to contest for the Westbridge's Queen position and put in my all best to make sure her votes were not rigged by the school's thugs. Suddenly I was infamous because she loved the boy I had invested in emotionally. Pathetic. Morgan raised his hands in surrender. “I am tired of acting a character I am not, Riley. I truly wants Scarlet Hayes, the Westbridge'sQueen. Who would'nt?. No lies you were with me at my lowest but now —” “Enough, Morgan! Please!” Tears almost fell off my eyes as his words cut through me like a knife. Scarlet fumbled for his hands and he let her as she stepped closer, his other hand wrapping on her waist. “Don't look ugly for a boy who never loves you, Riley. Marcus's preference is reasonable, you would have done the same if you were in his shoes.” “No, Scarlet! I loved Marcus Morgan even before he stepped on the ladder of popularity. I wouldn't have chosen anyone better.” Not that it mattered but that was just the secret fact. “Hear this, Riley. Move on. I no longer want you as my girlfriend,” Marcus frowned at me and then turned to Scarlet with a winked brow, that same gesture I found so attractive. “ I am choosing, Scarlet Hayes, the Westbridge's Queen.” My nerves tingled and blood pressured against my heart like a turbulent. Marcus seemed happy with Scarlet and had already made up his mind for her. All hope lost for me. The red flags were now loud enough not to be ignored. However, this apartment he was was where we lived together and I had no cash with me to get another apartment even though I wanted to leave. I had quit my job as a part time sales girl to focus on building Marcus's career, thinking that once it's better for him he would reward me handsomely with love and a better apartment. But it was all a dream that would never come true. However, I must hide my head still in his apartment while I source for a job to rent my apartment. I was about to make the first and last request from them, but as if they could read my mind Marcus Interjected. “You can stay with us here as a househelp till you get your apartment and still do the mystery girl duty.” I stared at him coldly and with disgust glares. “I would rather sleep in the campus gutter than breathe the same air as you two.”